Industrial Designs

Delhi HC decodes the copyright and design conundrum

Intellectual property laws provide protection for some works under both copyright and design law. At the face of it, the law on this point seems rather clear. However, interpretation of Section 15 of the Copyright Act in conjunction with the definition of “Design” under the Design Act makes it…


Musical instruments and the law - The sound of IP

My science teacher in school (I’m certain most them around the world) always told us how science is connected to everything in our day to day lives. It was quite amusing to understand how it worked practically and I wondered if it was in fact possible to connect something else like we connect…


Amendment to the Design Rules in India

The Controller of Patents, Designs and Trademarks recently through a public notice dated January 2, 2015 brought to the notice of the public that the Design rules have been amended with effect from December 30, 2014. Apart from revising the forms and the fees, the most important amendment seems to…


India’s first Semi-Conductor Integrated Circuit Layout Design Application

A couple of months back we’d written about the basics of protection of Semi-Conductor Integrated Circuit Layout Design (SICLD) in India and more importantly how there hadn’t been a single application filed, or registered till date. The  Semi-Conductor Integrated Circuit Layout Design Registry had…


How to file a Design application in India?

Ever wanted to get something you designed registered but never knew how to go about it? Surprisingly, the procedure to get your design registered is fairly easy and guess what? You can get your design registered in about 8-12 months! Trust me, getting anything registered with an Intellectual…


Protecting Jewellery Designs in India – Intellectual Property Simplified

At some point in a guy’s life, he just has to buy jewellery! Whether it’s for a girlfriend or partner, going through row after row of earrings, necklaces, rings and other adornments for someone else is one of the inescapable truths of life. Shopping for jewellery has changed a great deal as well -…


The Law of Designs and Passing-off in India

A recent judgment of the Bombay High Court that I came across addressed issues relating to the laws of design which I found very interesting, mainly because they weren’t issues that were touched upon previously. On reading the judgment, I found that it was the Delhi High Court which had first…


Start-up Tips - Integrated Circuit Layout Designs Simplified

Tech start-ups seem to be the flavour of the day in most entrepreneur meets but amidst the wide array of software companies there is an oft neglected team of people who work exclusively on building hardware. The silent workers who have it more difficult in terms of securing funding, gaining…


After fee hike for Patent filings in India, Design Office to follow suit

The Indian Intellectual Property Office invited comments today for the recently published draft amendment rules (“draft rules”) for Design filings in India. The draft rules can be found here. What’s new? Taking a leaf out of the Patent Office’s book, the draft rules propose separate fee for natural…